APP: The Holy Spirit is God’s spiritual presence in our lives. He’s not a vague, ghostly shadow or impersonal force; He’s a real person who was sent to live inside us when Jesus ascended into heaven. Everybody who has a relationship with God has the power of the Holy Spirit available to them. He makes us new creations and is an amazing source of power and hope. The Holy Spirit gives us power to live the Christian life and strength for extraordinary tasks. He helps us understand the Bible and how to worship God. The Holy Spirit helps us when we pray and is our guarantee that God will keep His promises to us. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control in our lives. He also tugs at our hearts and minds to convict us about our sinfulness so we realize how much we need God’s love and forgiveness. If we really want to grow in our relationship with God, it’s important that we don’t do anything to hinder the Spirit’s work in our lives. Can you think of a sinful habit that may be limiting His work in your life? Are you relying on the Holy Spirit’s power to help you with problems you’re struggling with?
As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.
LUKE 11:13 CEV
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
ACTS 1:8 NLT
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:12 NIV
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
GALATIANS 5:22 NLT
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
ROMANS 8:26 NASB